Celtic could see a £6m bid accepted for their new signing Arne Engels

Celtic midfielder Arne Engels has been the talk of the summer transfer window, less than a month after joining.

The Hoops have less than two months left to open the window so they can look if they want to keep their Belgian player, who has attracted interest from several Premier League teams.

Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, and Crystal Palace are all said to be interested in bringing the midfielder to the Premier League before the end of the window.

The Scottish Premiership giants are demanding a whopping £25m to allow the midfielder to leave Parkhead, however, and it remains to be seen whether any of them are willing to pay that price.

Celtic will benefit from the club-record £11m they paid Augsburg for his services in the summer of 2024 if they land him £25m this summer.

Celtic could see a £6m bid accepted for the new midfielder

It would be a huge blow to lose the Belgium star in the coming weeks given the threat he provides in a midfield role, having scored 17 goals and provided 21 assists in 98 games in all competitions.

However, the Premiership champions are looking at a player who may arrive at Parkhead as a replacement for Engels ahead of next season.

According to Football Insider, Celtic are among the clubs interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder Alfie Devine in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Premier League side are keen to cash in on the 21-year-old talent and are willing to accept a bid of up to £6m for him.

It added that Preston North End, who was on loan last season, did not exercise their option to sign him permanently for £4.5m, and the Hoops could now see an offer of £1.5m more than they received for him.

Football Insider reports that Martin O’Neill is driving the club’s interest in the Englishman, and that a fee of £6m is seen as within the reach of the Scottish giants.

How Alfie Devine could be Celtic’s next Arne Engels

Celtic need to bring in a player who can pose a threat as a goalscorer and creator in the middle of the park if they lose Engels to the Premier League side before the end of the window.

That’s why Devine, once hailed by journalist Josh Bunting as “outstanding”, could be the perfect fit for a Premiership side this summer, as he will be O’Neill’s new version of the Belgian ace.

The way they played apart at league level in the Championship and Premiership last season shows that both are similar in midfield.

Devine’s eight goals and six assists for Preston, who finished in mid-table in the Championship, shows he has the quality to be an Engels-esque player for Celtic in the center of the park.

He has the desire and quality to get forward to support goalscoring attacks, while also having the vision and passing ability to create high chances for his teammates, creating three more ‘big chances’ than Engels did last season.

Devine scored six goals in 30 Pro League appearances on loan at Westerlo in the 2024/25 campaign, and scored 13 goals in 49 appearances for Tottenham’s U21s at academy level, showing that his goalscoring form for Preston was no flash in the pan.

The Celtic star and the Spurs youngster have also posted remarkably similar numbers defensively, winning their duels and tackles, suggesting that Celtic will not let their team down by signing the player.

Therefore, winning the race for the £6m star, will allow the board to open up the possibility of offering Engels from Palace and Sunderland, as they will have a replacement already made in the structure.

That’s why the club must pay a £6m price tag to bring him to Parkhead in the coming weeks, as the midfielder ace could play a key role for O’Neill next term.